SITRA PROJECT, BAHRAIN

In the early 1980s, Bahrain was undergoing a profound transformation. Driven by economic growth fueled by oil and a vision of infrastructural modernization, the country - like the entire Gulf region - was ambitiously facing the challenges of rapid urban and industrial development.

Yet, at the very height of this momentum, one of the most delicate crises emerged: water scarcity. The gradual depletion of aquifers, which had begun in the late 1970s, had triggered serious concern.

The risk? The intrusion of seawater into the groundwater - a potentially irreversible process that could render the country’s freshwater resources brackish and unusable.
In response to this emergency, the Bahraini government launched an ambitious plan: to reach a daily production of around 50 million gallons of water by 1985, compared to just 5 million five years earlier. Desalination thus became the key to supporting the country’s ongoing growth.

It was in this context that Italimpianti entered the scene, commissioned to build some of the most advanced desalination plants of the time in the Sitra area. After completing the first plant on the island, the Italian company was also awarded the contracts for Sitra II – also known as the “Abu Dhabi project” as it was funded by the emirate as a gift to Bahrain – and Sitra III, both based on MSF technology.

For over forty years, these plants provided drinking water to a growing nation, marking a pivotal step in Bahrain’s modernization and in Italy’s contribution to the sustainable development of the Gulf.

Project Details

Sitra II

• Year of completion: 1987
• Contract value: over 70 billion lire
• Objective: expansion of the existing desalination plant with a new unit to increase overall production
• Additional capacity: 23,000 m³/day (approximately 5 million gallons/day)
• Technology: MSF (Multi-Stage Flash)
• Year awarded: 1983
• Year of completion: 1985
• Contract value: 180 billion lire
• Composition: 3 MSF desalination units, each with a capacity of 23,000 m³/day
• Total production capacity: approximately 98,420 m³/day (26 million gallons/day)
• Power generation: 24 MW
• Inauguration: December 18, 1985, attended by Crown Prince Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa and Bahraini authorities
• Impact: enabled the country to meet 64% of its water demand through desalination

Sitra III

• Award Year: 1983
• Completion Year: 1985
• Contract Value: 180 billion Italian liras (₤)
• Configuration: Three MSF desalination units, each with a capacity of 23,000 m³/day
• Total Production Capacity: Approximately 98,420 m³/day (26 million gallons/day)
• Power Generation: 24 MW
• Inauguration: December 18, 1985, in the presence of Crown Prince Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa and Bahraini authorities
• Impact: The plant enabled Bahrain to meet 64% of its national water demand through desalination

Role of Fisia Italimpianti
Fisia Italimpianti (formerly Italimpianti) acted as the General Contractor for both phases, delivering a strategic infrastructure project for Bahrain’s water security. The use of MSF technology and integrated power generation ensured plant efficiency and operational independence, providing the population with potable water for decades.